Creamy White Chicken Chili
a la Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 T oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch pieces (leave whole for crock pot method)
1/2 c chopped onion
1 1/2 t garlic powder, or 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
2 cans (15.5 ounces each) Great Northern beans =, or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 3/4 c chicken broth (14.5 oz can) 
2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chilis
1 t salt
1 t ground cumin
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 c sour cream
1/2 c heavy cream
fresh cilantro, for garnish
shredded cheese, tortilla chips, other toppings

Stovetop: in 4-5 quart pot, heat the oil over medium heat. add the chicken, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for 1-2 minutes, until the onion starts to soften (it's ok if the chicken isn't completely cooked) 
Add the beans, broth, chilis, and spices. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15-30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with toppings. 

For Crock Pot: Place chicken in whole, adding onions, garlic, beans, chilis and spices. Reduce the chicken broth to 1 1/2 c and add to slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-7 hours. 
Shred or cut up chicken. Mix together cream and sour cream in a separate bowl, and add to crock pot. Garnish to serve. 

Roasted Chicken
a la Karrie Wilson

Place a roasting rack, diced celery, onions and carrots in a 9x13 baking pan. You don't want the chicken baking in it's own juices, but roasting. Clean a whole chicken with a wet paper towel, or run under cold tap water and dab dry. Place in prepared pan. Rub olive oil on the chicken, sprinkle with lemon pepper, season salt and pepper, and rub into chicken.
Place in oven, cook uncovered at 375 for 1 1/2 hours.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
a la Natalie Baker

1 lb chicken cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t garlic salt
3/4 c cornstarch
2 large eggs, whisked
1/2 c canola oil

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
1 c sugar
1/3 c ketchup
1 t garlic salt
1/2 c + 1 T rice vinegar (distilled vinegar works too)
1 T soy sauce

Place the chicken, cornstarch, salt, pepper and garlic salt in a large ziplock bag. Shake until the chicken is completely coated.
Heat 1/4 c oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture and place in the frying pan with a fork. (I did half the batch first). Fry both sides of the chicken for about 2 minutes. Line a baking sheet with foil and place chicken on the pan. Dispose of the oil, heat up the rest of the oil and finish the chicken.

Chicken Pot Pie
a la the Pioneer Woman

4 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup Finely Diced Onion
1/2 cup Finely Diced Carrot
1/2 cup Finely Diced Celery
3 cups Shredded Cooked Chicken Or Turkey
1/4 cup Flour
3 cups Low-sodium Chicken Broth, Plus More If Needed
Splash Of White Wine (optional)
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Chopped Fresh Thyme To Taste
1/4 cup Half-and-half Or Cream
1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust
1 whole Egg
2 Tablespoons Water

Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat, then add the onion, carrots, and celery. Stir them around until the onions start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the chicken or turkey and then sprinkle the flour over the top and stir it until it’s all combined with the turkey and vegetables. Cook for 1 minute, then pour in the chicken broth (and wine if using) and stir it around and let it cook and thicken.
Once it starts to thicken add the turmeric, salt, pepper, and thyme.
Add the half-and-half or cream, then stir the mixture and let it bubble up and thicken, about 3 minutes. If it seems overly thick, splash in a little more broth. Turn off the heat.
Pour the filling into a 2-quart baking dish. Roll out the pie crust on a floured surface and lay it over the top of the dish. Press the dough so that the edges stick to the outside of the pan. Use a knife to cut little vents here and there in the surface of the dough.
Mix together the egg with 2 tablespoons water and brush it all over the surface of the crust. (You will have some egg wash left over.)
Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbly. To prevent the crust from getting too brown, you might want to cover it lightly with foil for the first 15 minutes of baking time.

note: i used 2 pie crusts, and put one on the bottom too. the flakier the better. i also added peas. i also put mine in a 9" circle pan- a pie pan is way too shallow. 
also, you can make just the filling and freeze it, and just thaw before use.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
a la Noell

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken (for extra yumminess, use grilled taco chicken!)
1 C grated pepperjack cheese
small corn tortillas (and actually, flour ones are really good as well)
kosher salt

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.
Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.
Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.  Roll up tortillas and place seam down on a baking sheet, not touching one another.  Spray lightly with cooking spray, or lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.  Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. 

Spicy Roasted Chicken Legs
a la Pioneer Woman

24 whole Chicken Legs 
2 sticks Butter 
1 Tablespoon Hot Salt (or You Favorite Seasonings) 
1/2 cup Lemon Juice (or To Taste)

Preparation Instructions

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a saucepan. Pour ½ cup of lemon juice (fresh or bottled). Now add your seasonings. In this case, 1 tablespoon of Morton’s Hot Salt. You can use whatever seasonings makes your skirt fly up, be it minced garlic, salt and Cayenne pepper ... let your imagination run wild. Stir it together until combined.
Rinse and pat your chicken legs dry. With metal tongs, transfer them one by one into the butter mixture and place on a baking sheet. Once all of the chicken legs are coated and on the baking rack, take a pastry brush and give them one last coating of the butter mixture. Sprinkle them with some more of your seasonings.
Place them into a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes. If they need a bit more color, turn on the broiler for a couple minutes and watch them closely. Remove them when they are nice and golden brown.

Orange Chicken Sauce
a la Carlie

1 c chicken broth
zest of 1-2 oranges
1/2 c orange juice
1/3 c vinegar
1/4 c soy
2/3 c sugar
1/4 t ginger
2 T grated yellow onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

mix and simmer for 30 minutes. marinate with chicken
you may want to add cornstarch to thicken, but it's a tasty, light sauce.

Thai Peanut Chicken
a la Dr. Nathan

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4 c white wine vinegar
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c lemon juice
4 cloves garlic
2 t crushed red pepper
2 t fresh ginger
8 sprigs parsley

Blend everything expect chicken in blender. Warm Peanut butter slightly to make it easier to blend. Cut chicken into cubes and put on skewers. Pour sauce over chicken but save some for basting while grilling. Let marinate in fridge over night or at least 1 hour at room temp. Grill until cooked thru, baste while grilling with remaining sauce. Serve with rice.

Laura's Favorite Seashell Pasta
a la Laura

1/2 c olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 t salt
1/2 t red pepper
1 pint small tomatoes, cherry or teardrop, sliced in half
1 lb medium pasta shells
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
1/2 c fresh basil leaves, thinly cut in strips

simmer together the oil, garlic, salt, red pepper together for about 5 minutes on low heat, careful not to burn the garlic. add half of the tomatoes and simmer for another 5 minutes, just to sweat them down. remove from heat and place in large bowl with the rest of the tomatoes. let sit for about 30 minutes.
meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. drain, and toss in bowl with tomatoes. add cheese and basil, and toss. serve hot!

chef's note: this is a great, light pasta. it is great as a side dish, but i would add grilled chicken or add bacon for a main dish. it makes plenty to have for lunch the next day.

Tortilla Soup 
a la mom

1 12oz can V-8 juice
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes (tomatoes and green chilies)
4-5 cilantro leaves
3/4 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small can tomato sauce
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove fresh garlic
1 large fresh tomato
4 can chicken broth
2 1/2 cans water
Toppings:
cooked chicken, cubed
tortilla chips, or fry your own
avacado, sliced
Monterey Jack cheese, grated
 tomato, chopped
onion, chopped
mozzarella cheese, grated
cilantro leaves

Liquify V-8, tomatoes, cilantro, bell pepper, tomato sauce, onion and garlic in blender. (note: you can leave this overnight in the fridge to enhance the flavor.) Add chicken stock and water, and warm in a large pot.
To serve, put tortilla chips in bottom of bowl. Add whatever toppings you want, then cover with soup. I recommend a large bowl.

Fried Rice
a la Sis. Watanabe

cold cooked rice
oil
vegetables
meat
egg or egg substitute
soy sauce or salt

Heat oil in pan. Saute (or reheat) meat until nearly done. Add vegetables. Saute vegetables for 2-3 minutes. Add rice and cook until very hot. Add egg and stir it completely through the rice. Cook until done. Season with rice or soy sauce.

Meat ideas: (cut up in small pieces) bacon, chicken, beef, shrimp, ham, tufo, or none
Vegetables: (cut in small pieces) celery, green onions, carrots, green beans, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, parsley, peppers, cilantro, chives, asparagus and pineapple. 

Chef's Note: you can use anything in this rice. It is a great way to use leftovers! If you are using bacon, there is no need to add oil, just use the grease.

Cranberry Chicken Salad

2/3 c slivered almonds

3 c chopped cooked chicken

3/4 c sweetened dried cranberries

2 celery ribs, diced

1/2 small sweet onion, diced

3/4 c mayonnaise

1 T Greek seasoning

2 T fresh lemon juice

Toss all together and serve

Chicken Enchiladas
a la Mom

5 to 6 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless, about 2 lbs.
2 (12oz) cans cream of chicken soup
1 small can diced green chilis
1 onion, diced
1 pt sour cream
3 c. cheddar cheese
2 c chicken broth enhanced with 3 bouillon cubes
1 pkg (8-10 inch) flour tortillas

Grill or boil chicken. Dice into small chunks. Season well with salt and pepper.
In a saucepan, combine soup, chilies, 1 c cheese, sour cream and broth. Simmer at least 30 minutes. In a 9x13 pan, pour some sauce into the bottom so the tortillas don't stick.

Assemble: On the tortilla, put 1/3 c chicken, top with cheese, and add green chili sauce. Roll up like a burrito and put in pan. Continue until chicken is gone. Pour remainder of sauce on top, making sure it gets inbetween each enchilada. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until bubbly on the edges.

Chicken and Spinach Salad (Trev's favorite)
a la Carlie

grilled chicken, cubed or sliced
spinach
tomatoes, diced
red onion, finely sliced
feta cheese
craisins, or other dried fruit
candied nuts- walnuts are great
raspberry vinegarette- optional

Pretty much, toss it all up! This is less like a recipe and more like a reminder of what to put in this great salad. With the toppings, less is more. And for the dressing, I really like Trader Joe's raspberry vinegarette, and I did mix it with a little regular Italian too for a little kick. I used very little dressing at all.

Chicken Sour Cream Stuffing
a la Kristen

1 1/2 c hot water
1/4 c margarine or butter, melted
1 box stuffing
6 small skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 can cream of mushroom
1 c sour cream

Mix the hot water, butter and stuffing and set aside. Cook chicken in a non-stick skillet medium-high for about 5 minutes on each side. Mix together soup and sour cream and pour over chicken. Top with stuffing and cover with lid. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes, or until chicken is done (165 degrees).

Chef's note: I like to serve rice with it, and a side veggie.
You can also cook it in the oven- Heat to 375. Prepare stuffing. Place chicken in 9x13 pan, cover with soup/cream mixture and stuffing. Cook for 34 minutes or until done.

Chicken Ranch Pizza
a la Jasmine

2 1/2 c all purpose flour (I sub 1 c whole wheat flour with 1 1/2 c white flour)
1 pkg (2 1/4 t) yeast
1/4 t salt
1 c warm water
1 T olive oil
cornmeal for sprinkling
cooked chicken ( I keep it simple with pepper and garlic salt)
1 large tomato
ranch dressing (I use light)
avocado or baby spinach (optional, but don't cook the avocado. put it on afterwards)
mozzarella cheese

In large bowl, mix some sugar in the warm water. Add the yeast. Wait 10 minutes or until it gets all foamy.
Add flour, salt and olive oil. Knead 6-8 minutes, or until you have a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. ( you may need to add more flour)
Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle cookie sheet with cornmeal. Stretch and press out dough on cookie sheet. Spread ranch to the edges, then chicken and tomato, and top with cheese. Sometimes I use Parmesan cheese as well.
Bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes, or until crust is done. SO GOOD!

Cafe Rio Chicken

5 lbs. chicken breast, skinless
1 small bottle Zesty Italian Dressing
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced

Crockpot for 5-7 hours

Macaroni Grill- Pasta Milano
a la Mom

Alfredo Sauce:
1/4 c butter
1 c heavy cream
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 c grated fresh parmesan cheese
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add garlic and cheese whisking quickly while heating through. Stir in parsley and add to recipe below.

Pasta Milano:
1 t olive oil
1 t fresh garlic
1 c fresh sliced mushrooms
1 T sun dried tomatoes
1 t fresh parsley
2 oz chicken stock
3-5 oz cooked pulled chicken
1 c alfredo sauce (from above)
4 oz cooked bow tie pasta (about 2 cups cooked)
1 T grated fresh parmesan cheese
Cook pasta in water. While pasta is cooking, heat a 10 inch saute pan. Add olive oil, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, parsley, chicken stock, chicken and garlic. Add alfredo sauce, bow tie pasta and toss. Put in large pasta bowl and garnish with parsley, parmesan cheese, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil.

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken
a la Wendy Kempton

4 frozen chicken breasts
1/2 onion, chopped
1 package ranch dressing mix, or Italian
1 can cream of chicken soup, or any cream soup flavor
1 package cream cheese, cubed

All chicken, onion, ranch mix and cream soup to crock pot. Cook 5-6 hours on low, or 3 hours on high. In the last 20 minutes, add cream cheese chunks to the top until melted. Stir up all together. (I cut the chicken pieces in to bite size chunks) Serve over rice or pasta, or as is.

Picante Chicken
a la Janelle

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
16 oz jar of salsa
3 T brown sugar
1 T mustard
Place chicken in shallow baking dish. In a small bowl, combine salsa, brown sugar and mustard. Pour over chicken. Bake uncovered at 400 for 30-35 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.
Yields: 4 serving. Serve over rice.
You could do this in the crock pot, I bet.